


Summer Haze

by BlackKite7



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, M/M, Mutual Pining, Oikawa is hopelessly in love and thinks Suga has no idea at all, Pining, Suga isn't as naive he seems but thinks Oikawa is clueless, bits of fluff and angst, switching POVs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-09
Updated: 2016-01-09
Packaged: 2018-05-12 14:13:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 15,140
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5668909
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlackKite7/pseuds/BlackKite7
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>As Oikawa ran passed him, the sun lifted over the horizon, and something compelled him to turn around and look at the man over his shoulder. The warm orange blaze of the sun lifted a golden veil over him, making his face brighten, and Oikawa could see the dark hue of brown eyes glowing a vibrant amber with the sunlight shining in them.</p><p>It had only been for a moment, for fractions of seconds, but the sight of him in that golden light left Oikawa breathless.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The First Sunrise

**Author's Note:**

  * For [kaneki_coffee](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kaneki_coffee/gifts).



> This is a gift for Tal, an aboslutely adorable nerd whose birthday it is! I got the idea for this very late at night with only a few days until their birthday, so this is kind of rushed and I'm very sorry for that but I got it done! I'll probably edit this in the future at some point though. I can't believe I managed to finish this, there's a little over an hour left on the 9th here, so I can post this on the right date in both our timezones!
> 
> Anyways, let me just say Happy Birthday to quite possibly the nicest and most precious person I have ever had the pleasure of calling a friend! Honestly, you're too nice and too adorable for your own good, as are your cotton socks. I hope you have a wonderful day as you enjoy your birthday and I wish you all the best for the year! :)
> 
> And now, let me apologise for a six chapter train wreck.

The first time Oikawa laid eyes on him, it had been on a cool brisk morning, just before the sun had risen. He’d woken up restless and decided to go for a run, deciding to take a different route on a whim, following a path that would take him over a hillside and through a parkland near his university. He figured the chilly morning weather would help him wake up. It did in some small way, but something else frayed his nerves and left his hair standing on end. As he neared the crest of a hill overlooking the parklands, Oikawa just barely saw him as he continued on his way, a fleeting glimpse that would stay with him longer than he thought it might.

A guy stood leaning against the guardrails that prevented people falling down the hillside, his eyes staring at the horizon almost vacantly. He was bundled up in sweaters with a blue knit scarf tucked tightly around his neck, humming quietly to himself as he tapped his fingers against the metal guardrail, his breath turning into a thin mist as he breathed out. The guy didn’t look any older then himself, though looks could be deceiving. Whoever he was, he was certainly handsome, with blemish free skin and tussled silver hair that looked the perfect kind of soft to bury one’s fingers in. Oikawa assumed he was waiting to see the sunrise, though it was still fairly dim out. The world was becoming brighter as the sun rose ever so slowly. He couldn’t help but think it was cute in a way, that someone around his age was waiting outside in the cold just to watch the sun rise up over the cityscape.

As Oikawa ran passed him, the sun lifted over the horizon, and something compelled him to turn around and look at the man over his shoulder. The warm orange blaze of the sun lifted a golden veil over him, making his face brighten, and Oikawa could see the dark hue of brown eyes glowing a vibrant amber with the sunlight shining in them. The expression on his face was a marvel, one of innocent joy at something so simple. That oddly silver hair of his almost glowed in the light, soft yet out of place as the cold breeze made the locks flick against his face. His eyes became lidded, short lashes fluttering against the bright light, and his lips drew into a tight smile, but it wasn’t strained or forced in any way. It looked as though he were murmuring to himself slightly, though Oikawa couldn’t hear what he said.

It had only been for a moment, for fractions of seconds, but the sight of him in that golden light left Oikawa breathless, so much so he almost tripped over his own feet going down the other side of the hill, and he blushed and cursed himself for not looking where he was going. He dared not look back again. He had made a loud yelping noise when he had tripped and scrambled back to his feet, and he felt his face heating up even more at having made a fool of himself, even though he didn’t know who the person was.

He felt a pair of eyes staring at his back that day, and despite his better judgement, he had returned every day since to run up that hill in hopes of catching sight of the silver haired stranger once more. It was foolish and very likely an inappropriate thing to do. He told himself such things every day as he retraced his steps and jogged up the hill.

He was there on occasion, in the same spot, waiting for the sun to blanket the earth in a warm orange haze. Every time Oikawa caught sight of him as he ran by, his heart squeezed a little, and he sometimes found himself holding his breath, and he would curse himself for it later. At least he hadn’t fallen on his face since the first time.

It wasn’t until one fateful day a few weeks later that Oikawa learned his name, and in a rather embarrassing way at that. That morning had been particularly warm, the last of spring’s cool weather fading as summer drew closer. Oikawa ran the usual path, his sneakers pounding on the cement footpath as he made his way up the hill at a generous pace. The sun hadn’t risen yet, however close it was, and as Oikawa neared the crest he could see that the familiar spot at the guardrails wasn’t occupied. He sighed slightly, a little disappointed, and trudged his way up the rest of the hill, ready to cut short the rest of his run to hurry back to the dorms. When he ran over the top and was beginning the descent on the other side, he looked up from his feet just in time to see the silver haired guy running towards him breathlessly. The two of them almost collided at the top of the hill, both frantic as they realised they were on a crash course with one another.

Oikawa tried to twist himself in such a way that he would glide around him, but his feet tangled up under him from the sudden attempt and he began to fall forward at an odd angle, his hands outstretched to break his fall, though it would hurt all the same. The silver haired man hadn’t been able to dodge him, slamming into him in the process and latching onto his arms in a vain attempt to hold them both upright and steady as they twisted, their positions swapping, but Oikawa’s momentum carried them to the ground, where they tumbled on the cement path way, groaning as a jolting pain shook them both.

Oikawa could hear the silver haired man release a thousand breathless curses, the wind knocked right out of him, and Oikawa pulled his face off the sidewalk to apologise to him hastily. He did his best to ignore the stinging pain in his cheek, and hoped that wasn’t blood he tasted in his mouth. He wasn’t sure how many times he said sorry, or how many times he asked if the guy was alright, if he’d been hurt or had broken something – though that seemed unlikely. The silver haired man had no qualms using Oikawa as an aid, grabbing his arms and relying on his steadiness to raise himself to his feet, saying that he was fine, just a tad sore, that no harm was done and other reassurances.

Oikawa could feel his face flushing as he continued to apologise. How stupid could he get. Hanamaki sometimes teased him that he was a professional at sweeping people off their feet. He didn’t think this was the proper way to do it, not in the slightest. His friends were going to have a field day if they ever found out about what he’d done. He should have been paying more attention, he couldn’t have made a worse impression of himself if he tried. But as the silver haired guy dusted himself off, he began to laugh, a wholehearted and warm sound that made Oikawa purse his lips, his face burning even more.

The silver haired man insisted he was fine, that no harm had been done, and that he even looked a little cool with the tears in his jeans that had been ripped when they fell. Oikawa once again apologised, even going so far as to offer him money to buy new jeans, but the offer was quickly denied. The stranger claimed it had been his fault, since he’d been in such a rush to get to the top of the hill to see the sunrise, and he pouted when he realised he had missed it.

It was a moment later that the silver haired stranger offered to go back down the hill with Oikawa and treat him to a coffee as an apology for having knocked into him. Oikawa had been caught between refusing on the basis of it not being his fault, and accepting in order to speak with him for a little while longer. He hadn’t really been given a choice, as the silver haired stranger pushed on his shoulders and ushered him down the hill, saying he wouldn’t feel better about the situation unless Oikawa agreed.

Oikawa walked alongside him quietly, glancing at his new companion every few seconds despite himself, though it would be fair to say the silver haired man was leading him. They had been walking in silence for a few moments when the silver haired man lifted his head, as if remembering something, and turned to Oikawa with one of those warm, breathless smiles that he had seen on his face whenever Oikawa caught him staring at the sunrise.

“I’m Sugawara, by the way. Next time we meet, let’s not crash into each other.”

It had been a simple, friendly greeting, and yet it made Oikawa’s stomach twist in knots, and he found himself stuttering out his own name, a fact that made him even more embarrassed in the moment. He had absolutely no trouble talking to people, introductions were especially easy to him, why was he acting like a skittish school girl all of a sudden?

But when heard the melodious laughter that left Sugawara’s throat at his stumbled reply, and saw the way those caramel brown eyes looked at him with such soft kindness, he knew why.

He had fallen in love with this guy without even realising it.


	2. What Are The Odds?

Since that day, Oikawa had been greeted by Sugawara’s warm voice and friendly smile every time he mounted the hillcrest. Oikawa would smile and wave at him as he passed, praising himself for remaining calm and collected – at least until he got to the bottom of the hill, where he had to take a break and rub his face to get rid of the foolish grin that had taken over his features.

Afterwards, he would resume his morning run, cutting through the park and then jogging through the campus grounds to return to his university dorm. His classes would begin in a couple of hours, he needed to shower and get ready for the day, and he waved to his classmates as he entered the dorm. The idea of a cool shower thrilled him, as the morning had been hot and bothersome, but before he even reached the stairs he was practically assaulted in the hallway by two familiar faces.

“Well, well, lover-boy returns!” Two voices chimed in unison as Matsukawa and Hanamaki slammed into him on either side, sandwiching Oikawa between them as they slung their arms over his shoulders. They each shared a cheeky, evil grin; a clear sign that the inseparable duo had thought up some new way to tease and bully him.

“Get off, it’s too hot…!” Oikawa cried out as he roughly slapped his hands against their backs, though neither budged as they wedged against him until he yelped in pain.

“So, how did it go? Did you confess your undying love to him today?” Matsukawa leaned his head against Oikawa’s, grinning wildly as he swayed the three of them from left to right.

“Oikawa, you can’t, you belong to us, we won’t let you go!” Hanamaki wept as he wrapped his arms tightly around Oikawa’s chest and pretended to cry into his shoulder.

Oikawa truly regretted the fact he had ever mentioned Sugawara to these idiots. He had had to put up with their relentless teasing every morning, which was more than a little embarrassing as other students living in the dorms would pass by and snicker at the commotion they were causing. Oikawa glared and pouted as he pushed against Hanamaki’s chest, calling him heavy and fat and every other name under the sun as he tried to shimmy out of their grasp. He was saved when Iwaizumi came downstairs and all but throttled all three of them for making a racket so early in the morning, and Oikawa exclaimed loudly that it wasn’t his fault only to have Iwaizumi pin the blame on him regardless.

Oikawa had to listen to Matsukawa and Hanamaki calling out the most embarrassing things as he retreated upstairs to go shower, but was thankful that Iwaizumi pulled them into line quickly and hurried them out of the dorm before they could embarrass him even more. Oikawa would join them for breakfast within the hour after getting ready and gathering what he needed for his classes, and he eventually sauntered out of the dorms to meet them at one of the tiny cafés in the university’s cafeteria area. The food at the university was bad, even on its good days, so any students living in the dorms tended to use the tiny kitchen areas in the dorms to cook for themselves. The lucky ones were those with part time jobs that could afford to go out and get decent food, or had friends living outside the dorms that cooked for them.

Oikawa shared his dorm with Iwaizumi, and to avoid dying from his friend’s terrible cooking, he took it upon himself to make whatever meals they had in the evening in what little space they had, but he usually found himself cooking for four as Matsukawa and Hanamaki would squeeze their way in to get a free meal. In the mornings, though, the group settled for cheap coffee and a few packets of milk bread – mostly because they were the safest things to buy, and the least expensive.

Hanamaki often whined that the coffee was too sweet, while Matsukawa claimed it was too bitter. Every morning they traded drinks, even though it would be easier for them just to change their orders. As always, Iwaizumi and Oikawa said nothing about it since they had always been like that, and instead began planning their day – where they would go to study after class but soon they began to complain a little childishly about how close the deadlines for assignments were as they sipped lukewarm coffee.

Throughout the morning, Oikawa’s spirits were kept relatively high, part in parcel due to seeing his silver haired friend on his morning run. Or rather, his acquaintance. They weren’t nearly close enough to be friends, they just said hello to each other every other morning, it wasn’t like they hung out or anything like that. The more he began to think about it, the more Oikawa’s mood worsened by the afternoon, until the point where his smiles because tight and off putting to those wanting to speak with him.

Oikawa couldn’t even imagine what kind of friends a guy like that might have. He was handsome, more than a little really. He didn’t have any qualms about admitting that. He doubted he’d be so put out if it weren’t the case. It wasn’t hard for him to believe he was popular with girls. Oikawa was no stranger to that kind of attention, and Sugawara looked like the kind of guy that would always be nice to people, even girls with shameless intentions. Maybe the same could said for men. He didn’t know. That irked him, and he had to quickly refocus himself or else his good mood would vanish.

“What are you pouting for?” Iwaizumi’s question startled him, and Oikawa jolted in his seat across from him. They had gone to the library after their morning classes to do some research for an assignment due by the end of the week.

“I-I’m not pouting.” Oikawa defended himself weakly as he carefully slid his glasses back to the bridge of his nose.

“You are. What’s bothering you? Spit it out already, you dumbass.” Iwaizumi needed to practice how to ask someone what was wrong without insulting them. Towards Oikawa, at least.

“Nothing’s wrong, I promise.” Oikawa said and leaned back in his chair, avoiding Iwaizumi’s scrutinous gaze. The worst part about having known Iwaizumi since childhood was that he always knew when Oikawa was lying. It likely had something to do with the way his brows furrowed and the way he would lock his fingers together and twist them. Oikawa wasn’t sure why he bothered trying to hide things from him, he always found out on way or another. Sometimes he just _knew_ things.

“Really? Because you’ve written Sugawara’s name in your notes eight times now.” Iwaizumi lifted his head to smirk down at Oikawa.

“No way! I haven’t-” Oikawa shouted defensively in the library, drawing curious gazes as he dropped his head to look at his notebook. He hadn’t even been paying attention to what notes he’d been taking from his textbook. Sure enough, he’s written Sugawara’s name several times, though each time it had been hastily scratched out. He didn’t even realise. Defeated, he slumped in his seat and rested his head on the desk, letting out a long, drawn out whining noise. “Iwa-chan, help me…”

“Can’t help a lost cause.” Iwaizumi laughed as he propped up an arm to hold his chin, poking Oikawa’s head with the end of his pen.

“What am I going to do?” Oikawa lifted his head a little to look up at his friend desperately.

“Have you thought about, oh I don’t know, talking to him? Like, having a proper conversation?” Iwaizumi offered, his voice dripping with more sarcasm than Oikawa wanted to hear.

“It’s not that easy.” Oikawa mumbled as he dropped his head once more. In truth, it was. Just stop during his run and ask what Sugawara planned for the day, wish him well, maybe invite him out to lunch for a friendly chat some time. It wasn’t hard at all. They had already had a coffee together, though that had been at Sugawara’s insistence, and it hadn’t lasted very long as Oikawa had to return in time for his classes that day. The only problem was the way his heart would give out when he even thought about asking such things.

“You’re hopeless.” Iwaizumi said stiffly as he turned his attention back to his laptop.

“Iwa-chan, don’t be mean…” Oikawa whined and stretched out his arms to grab Iwaizumi’s hand. Iwaizumi merely swatted his hands away, causing Oikawa to retract them with a loud cry before he cradled them to his chest. Iwaizumi didn’t even apologise, and he pouted at him fiercely for it.

With a heavy sigh, Iwaizumi turned off his laptop and began to pack up his things. Oikawa thought he was going to leave him to wallow there, up until he was told to hurry up and put his things away. Confused, but compliant, Oikawa did as he was bid and then followed Iwaizumi out of the library, his head low as he walked in tandem behind Iwaizumi, almost obediently while his friend began to text someone on his phone.

A few moments later, they were joined by Matsukawa and Hanamaki at the front gates of the university. The two of them smiled at Oikawa and hugged him at the same time, affectionately nuzzling his head as they apologised for teasing him that morning and promised they would treat him to something tasty to make up for it. Oikawa twisted his head against their arms, looking at Iwaizumi who stood off to the side with his arms crossed over his chest, a proud smirk on his face, and Oikawa couldn’t help but laugh quietly as he returned his friend’s affectionate gestures, thanking them wholeheartedly.

They were troublesome, that was for sure, and they caused him no end of grief, but they were the best friends he could ever ask for.

Oikawa allowed himself to be dragged off campus and down the bustling streets of the city, his friends making plans for their small group as they led Oikawa around like a lost puppy. They eventually decided to go to Hanamaki’s favourite café, a place with more sweets than any normal person could handle. Hanamaki sometimes spent more of his pay-check than he should at that place. Though Oikawa liked the idea, he knew that Hanamaki had suggested it just to get his fix of creampuffs for the day. Even though he liked his coffee bitter, he had a real sweet tooth.

They found the café tucked away between other restaurants and went inside, sighing at the feeling of the cold air inside. It had been as hot as predicted, and the sound of the air conditioner sighing cool air was all too welcome. They waited in the queue to place an order at the counter before being seated, and Oikawa sniggered as Hanamaki drooled at the sight of all the sweets enticing him behind the glass.

“Feeling better?” Matsukawa asked with a warm smile as he waited for Hanamaki to make up his mind. Oikawa leaned against his side, a genuinely happy smile on his face, much different from the tight one he’d been holding since that morning.

“I am. Why can’t you guys be this nice all the time?” Oikawa sighed and nuzzled Matsukawa’s arm affectionately.

“Because you’re just asking to be teased when you have that lovey-dovey look on your face every day.” Hanamaki teased with a grin and Oikawa reached around Matsukawa to slap his back, though Hanamaki dodged it as he moved to the counter to place his order.

“Don’t ruin it, Makki-chan!” Oikawa snapped the words a little, pouting at his friend as he looked at him through a squinting glare, though Hanamaki merely continued to laugh as he placed his order.

“C’mon, leave the love-sick idiot alone.” Iwaizumi joined in the light-hearted teasing, nudging Oikawa’s backside with his knee to get him to move along, and Oikawa turned to tell him to shut up, lest he encourage Matsukawa and Hanamaki to tease him more.

“No, go on, this is juicy. I had no idea Oikawa could be this adorable.” A new voice joined in the conversation, one that Oikawa had only heard a handful of times, but was so familiar to him that it sent a chill down his spine.

Looking over the counter, Sugawara stood before his eyes, clad in a black uniform with a white apron tied neatly at his waist. He wasn’t looking at them directly, as he was replacing a tray of sweets in the display case, but he had an amused look on his face, a grin that stretched from ear to ear. Oikawa felt his face grow hot and his throat become dry in a matter of seconds as Sugawara stood straight and directed his grin at him. A hundred thoughts went through his mind in a short span of time as he gaped at him.

What could he say to redirect the conversation? There was no way he could bluff his way out of it or pretend it was a joke. What was Sugawara doing there anyway? Why did he have to work at Hanamaki’s favourite café, and why did he have to have a shift today, of all days? Oikawa wanted to throw himself in a hole when he heard Matsukawa and Hanamaki whispering to each other.

“Did you know about this?”

“What? No way, this is news to me.”

“What are the odds?”

“Are we in some shoujo manga or something?”

Oikawa could only stand, shocked into silence, as Sugawara covered his mouth to silence the soft snigger at the hushed conversation that left Oikawa a blushing mess. He asked himself over and over, ‘ _how did I get into this situation?_ ’ but no answer came to mind.

Eventually Iwaizumi waved Oikawa away to go find them a table, saying he would order for him and saving him from any further embarrassment. Hanamaki went to join him, trying to cheer him up, and Sugawara watched with that same amused smile as Oikawa swatted at Hanamaki and yelled at him in a hushed voice, claiming what a terrible friend he was.

When Oikawa looked back at Sugawara, who was serving Iwaizumi at the counter, he was sent one of those affable smiles he’d come to associate with Sugawara’s overwhelming friendliness, and looked away again as he dropped himself into a booth and leaned down in it, trying to shrink away as he prayed the earth would swallow him whole.

Why did Sugawara have to overhear that? Oikawa’s heart was pounding so hard in his chest, he thought he might die. He threw his arms over his head and pulled the collar of his shirt high over his face, exposing his stomach a little as he did so, in a vain attempt to hide from the world.

He felt like he was going to die of embarrassment, and that didn’t happen very often.

He hoped Sugawara wouldn’t mention it the next time they saw one another.

Oikawa wasn’t sure his heart could handle it.


	3. Plan B

It was to be a blistering hot day, already in the mid-twenties before the sun had peeked over the horizon, and the temperature was set to soar through the day. Oikawa had barely slept a wink, his racing thoughts keeping him up just as much as the uncomfortably warm weather.

It had been just under a week since that surprise encounter with Sugawara at the café. Oikawa had been neglecting his morning runs since, and knew he would be feeling a hundred different aches when he eventually got back into it. But he didn’t feel up to it, at least not then. He knew he could take a different path if he truly wanted to avoid Sugawara, but the thought of remaining in the safety of his bed for a little while longer was all too compelling.

Eventually, he would return to his early morning runs.

Eventually, he would greet Sugawara with a more composed and genuine smile.

Eventually he would…

“How long are you going to mope in bed for?” Iwaizumi’s voice was too harsh for his ears in the morning, as was the way he roughly kicked Oikawa’s backside.

“Stop it…” Oikawa whined as he pulled the alien-patterned sheets over his head, hiding away as he curled up under them.

He heard Iwaizumi huff loudly before he felt something slide under him and cried out in surprise when he was suddenly hoisted into the air, floundering under the sheets that he had foolishly cocooned himself in. Iwaizumi held him in his arms, making his way towards the door of their dorm, no doubt about to throw him into the hallway in nothing but his underwear and the bedsheets. Oikawa latched onto him, yelling out in a louder voice than he intended that he would get ready as he slammed a foot against the door, preventing Iwaizumi from getting any closer to it. Iwaizumi smirked and turned around, throwing Oikawa effortlessly back onto his bed, and Oikawa threw the sheets aside with more force than necessary as he stomped out of bed to find something to wear.

Iwaizumi lingered by the doorway, leaning against the tiny kitchen counter in the far corner of the dorm room as he waited for Oikawa to dress himself and gather his things, muttering every other second for him to get his ass in gear. Oikawa poked his tongue out at him childishly, but stopped when Iwaizumi grabbed hold of the nearest object - an unopened packet of cup noodles – and threw it at his head. Oikawa had just barely ducked in time, and said he would hurry up when Iwaizumi said he was going to throw something heavier next.

Oikawa grumbled to himself as he followed Iwaizumi out of the dorms and towards the usual meet up place where they had a make-shift breakfast with Hanamaki and Matsukawa. Neither of them mentioned the foul mood Oikawa seemed to be in as he glowered while sipping away at his morning caffeine fix, though they sent Iwaizumi a few worried glances, though Iwaizumi merely shrugged, a sign to let him be for the moment.

The day dragged on far too slowly for Oikawa’s likely. His lecturers sounded dull and unimpressive, and his notes were an utter mess, having crossed out many sentences after realising he hadn’t been properly listening. By the end of the day, he asked to borrow Iwaizumi’s notebook to try redoing his notes and had all but locked himself in their dorm room to try and fix the disaster that was his own work.

Matsukawa and Hanamaki ventured to his dorm room when their afternoon classes had finished, poking their heads inside to see Oikawa hunched at the desk under the window, a fan blowing on a low setting occupying the empty space beside the notebooks that was making the pages of his notebook flick against his hands. Iwaizumi lay on his bed, watching a movie on his phone and pausing it long enough to ask what they wanted when he noticed they had opened the door.

“We’re going to go down the street to get something to eat, you guys want anything?” Matsukawa asked as he looked back and forth between Oikawa and Iwaizumi. Oikawa continued to scribble away at his notebook, not once lifting his head.

“Maybe just grab a few hamburgers or something?” Iwaizumi suggested with a shrug. “And get this idiot a mango smoothie, he’s been mumbling to himself about the heat for ages now. I’ll pay you for the burgers later.”

“Don’t worry, s’my treat.” Hanamaki said with a smile as he pushed his hand through the small crack in the door they were peeking through to give Iwaizumi a thumbs up. “Burgers and a mango smoothie, coming right up. In about thirty minutes or so. Bye-bye!”

Matsukawa and Hanamaki pulled away from the door and closed it as they left, murmuring to themselves about how Oikawa seemed totally put out. As they left the university and sauntered through the streets, they debated on whether or not to pick up something else for him to lift his spirits, settling on dropping into a small dollar store on the way back to see if they couldn’t find him some kind of space-themed keychain, knowing how fond their friend was of anything even remotely related to space, or rather, aliens. The bedsheets with the green alien heads were more than enough for them to know he still hadn’t grown out of that interest.

They stopped at the nearest take out establishment, ordering a meaty order of hamburgers before making a round trip to get Oikawa a smoothie, the two of them murmuring about what fantastic people they were, so benevolent and generous, to be walking around in the almost unbearable heat to get their downtrodden friend a cold drink. Halfway back to the university, they stopped at a busy intersection to get their bearings, and they nearly dropped their food when a soft voice surprised them.

“Ah, you’re Oikawa’s friends, right?” Sugawara may as well have materialised out of thin air beside them, though truth be told they simply hadn’t noticed him waiting there for the lights to change so he could cross. From the tired look on his face, it seemed like he’d just finished a long shift.

“Oh, yeah, you’re uh- Sugawara, yeah?” Hanamaki tried to play it off that they didn’t remember him all too well. As if they could forget his face after Oikawa’s previous ramblings – and the accidental encounter the other day. “You just finish work?”

“Yeah, I’m about ready to fall asleep honestly.” Sugawara flashed one of those amiable smiles, and it became all too clear to Hanamaki and Matsukawa just how Oikawa had fallen under his guy’s spell. When he smiled like that, with his eyes half lidded and lips drawn tight but not forced, he looked utterly captivating. “Um, can I ask you something?”

“Of course. Shoot.” Matsukawa said as he shifted the plastic bags hooked over his forearms until they slid down to the dip of his elbow.

“Is Oikawa unwell? I haven’t seen him for a while now, I’m kind of worried.” The smile faded from Sugawara’s face, replaced by a look of genuine concern.

“He’s uh…” Hanamaki shared a look with Matsukawa, neither knowing what to say exactly. Sugawara was the cause of Oikawa’s recent slump, but they couldn’t exactly tell him that. Well, they could, but they weren’t that unkind.

All of a sudden, a thought crossed their mind at the same time, and they each knew what another was thinking when they smirked slyly at one another. Matsukawa stepped around Sugawara, moving to stand on the other side of him as both he and Hanamaki hooked their arms through his, effectively trapping him as they beamed at the silver haired guy caught in their arms.

“He’s in a slump,” Matsukawa began as the lights changed, stepping forward at the same time Hanamaki did, the two of them almost carrying Sugawara across the street as they towered over him.

“But I’m sure he’ll feel better if you visit and tell him how worried you’ve been over him!” Hanamaki finished Matsukawa’s sentence, wearing a shit-eating grin as they returned with Sugawara in their arms.

If Sugawara didn’t want to go, he didn’t show it. He didn’t pull away from either of them, but he had a flustered and confused look on his face, not having expected such a sudden development. The only objection he made was for them to slow down, as he had trouble keeping up with their quick pace. They slowed down just barely enough for Sugawara to match their stride comfortably, heading back to the university in a slow jog, the bags of fast-food bouncing at Matsukawa’s side while Hanamaki hummed and sent Iwaizumi a text message to meet them outside their dorm room.

They had to pause at the administrative area of the dorms to get Sugawara a visitor’s pause, but with that done, they quickly hurried upstairs. When they got to the floor where Iwaizumi and Oikawa’s dorm room was, they were met by a more than a little startled Iwaizumi, who gaped at Sugawara and demanded to know just how, and why, they had kidnapped Sugawara and brought him there. Matsukawa quickly hushed Iwaizumi as he took several items out of the fast-food bags, leaving Oikawa’s order in the bag and quickly handing it to Sugawara as Hanamaki opened the door.

With a soft shove, Matsukawa pushed a flustered Sugawara into the room and Hanamaki slammed the door shut with enough force that Oikawa, who had still been hunched at the desk, jolted and almost fell out of his seat.

“Damnit Iwaizumi, I know you’re pissed at me, but you don’t have to take it out on-” Oikawa turned around in his seat, barking the words until he saw Sugawara standing there, the thin unbuttoned shirt he’d been wearing over a tank top loose and hanging by his arms that were cradling the plastic bag of food to his chest, blushing red as he had been carelessly shoved into the room. He was more than a little confused, the rest of his sentence falling from his lips in almost in a whisper. “-the…door…”

A heavy, tense silence filled the small dorm room as Sugawara stood frozen in the entryway, the plastic bag in his arms slipping a little as his mind tried to catch up with everything that had just happened in the last few seconds.

“I, um…I guess; this is for you?” Sugawara stuttered the words eventually, unsure what else to say as he walked into the room slowly and handed the bag to him.

“Oh, thanks…” Oikawa said slowly as he took it from him, quickly glancing inside and noticing the smoothie that had been hastily thrown into the bag on top of a few burgers and an enclosed packet of fries. “Wait, how-…Mattsun and Makki-chan brought you here, didn’t they?”

“Yeah, I meet them on the street after I finished a shift.” Sugawara laughed a little at the sight of Oikawa’s suspicious glare, knowing that it was directed less at him and more so at his friends. “I asked them how you’d been and they, um…escorted me here.”

“Those bastards…” Oikawa said and raised a hand to cover his face, his skin flushing out of embarrassment for his friends. What the hell were they thinking? He couldn’t even begin to guess. “I’m sorry they did that. I’ll have a talk with them later about it. I’m really sorry.”

“It’s fine, it’s fine. I don’t mind, really.” Sugawara said and shifted his arms behind his back, entwining his fingers and twisting them slightly. “But uh, are you alright? You haven’t been running recently, so I thought you might be sick or something.”

“Huh? Oh, no, I’m fine, just been focusing on an assignment.” Oikawa lied effortlessly, covering his mouth with his hand a little as he placed the bag of fast food on the desk. Sugawara gave him a curious look and stepped a little closer to the desk, raising a hand and brushing the back of his knuckles against his forehead. Oikawa froze at the sudden touch; his fringe being swept aside as Sugawara grazed his fingers against his skin.

“Are you sure? You look kind of flushed. Are you sure you don’t have heatstroke or anything? You’re not dehydrated?” There was an obvious concern in Sugawara’s gentle questions, and it made Oikawa’s heart squeeze tightly in his chest as he swallowed hard.

“I’m sure, I’m fine, really.” Oikawa tried to sound as convincing as he could as he gently grabbed Sugawara’s wrist and pulled it away from his face. The skin under his palm and fingertips felt hot. He tried to think of something to say, anything. “Do you, uh, want something to eat?”

As Oikawa had been making the offer to share his dinner with him, Sugawara’s stomach let out a low but just audible growl, and the two of them froze as they looked at each other in surprise. Sugawara’s face quickly turned red in embarrassment, the colour of his cheeks turning a deeper shade of red when Oikawa began to snicker loudly.

The tension eased a little, and Oikawa told Sugawara he could sit where he wanted as he reached into the plastic bag and pulled out the two hamburgers that had been tossed into the bag, but not before he took out the smoothie to make sure it hadn’t spilled on any of the food. He handed one to Sugawara, who happily and greedily devoured it as he explained he had barely eaten that day because of his morning classes and then his afternoon shift at the café. Oikawa questioned him about his classes, and Sugawara explained that he was studying a degree of early childhood education at a university not too far away. When the question was turned on Oikawa, he admitted he was studying a degree of psychology and sciences, words that surprised Sugawara, who commented that he had expected him to be in the arts department in some way.

Oikawa was surprised by how easily he and Sugawara were able to hold such meaningless conversations. They weren’t talking about anything overly exciting, yet they each seemed to listen intently to another’s words, smiling at one another with interest as they chatted. Oikawa had almost forgotten the bad mood he’d been stuck in the last few days when Sugawara smiled at him. The unease of having him in his room was still there, clinging to his thoughts in the back of his mind, but it didn’t compare to the wave of relief that washed over him when Sugawara looked at him with such simple acceptance.

An hour had gone by without either of them realising, at least not until Sugawara’s phone began to ring, the words of a song Oikawa didn’t recognise blaring from the pocket he hurriedly reached into, but not before quickly apologising to Oikawa for interrupting their conversation. Sugawara hastily answered the call, explaining to someone on the other end he had gotten side tracked on his way home and would come back soon. Oikawa couldn’t help be curious about who the caller was. A friend? A girlfriend? A fuck-buddy? He hated to admit to himself that all three ideas made him a little jealous, especially when he had just had Sugawara’s undivided attention, but he did well to keep such thoughts from appearing on his face.

“Sorry, I didn’t even realise it was getting late.” Sugawara apologised to Oikawa as he bowed his head, the tips of his ears red in embarrassment. “I’m sorry for interrupting your study session.”

“No, no, it’s fine, seriously. It was nice to have a chat with you. Anyways, I should be apologising. My friends dragged you all the way here, after all.” Oikawa answered quickly as Sugawara stood up, having been lounging very comfortably on Oikawa’s bed during the surprise visit.

“It was nice though, wasn’t it? We should do this again, but uh, maybe with a little more notice.” Sugawara suggested with a laugh and an all too amused grin, one that was replaced when a thought crossed his mind. “Oh, wait, I don’t have your number, do I?”

“What? Oh, no, I guess not-” Oikawa had barely finished replying when Sugawara moved to stand at his side once more, reaching over him and picking up his phone from his desk with a soft ‘ _yoink_.’

Flustered, Oikawa tried to take it back, but Sugawara kept it out of his reach and laughed gently, asking for Oikawa’s passcode. Realising he wasn’t going to get it back in his possession just yet, Oikawa mumbled the four-digit code and Sugawara hummed as he swiped through Oikawa’s phone, tapping away at the screen before smiling to himself and handing it back to him.

“There you go!” Sugawara spoke with a happy hum in his words, and Oikawa took his phone back as Sugawara’s own chimed in his hand, having received a text. “Now you have my number, and I have yours. I have to get going before I get locked out of my own apartment, but send me a text if you want to meet up again so we can make plans and stuff.”

“Yeah, sound goods, I’m looking forward to it.” Oikawa said the words with more ease than he thought he’d be able to. He was sure his face had turned a few dark shades of pink as Sugawara grinned at him happily as he headed towards the door.

“Great! Let’s make it a date, okay?” Sugawara asked with a that same joyous grin as he opened the door to leave and raised his phone to hold it near his temple, drawing Oikawa’s gaze to a small mole under his left eye that he hadn’t noticed until then.

Why, oh why, did he have to use that expression? It made Oikawa want to melt into a puddle on the floor of his room.

“Yeah, lets.” Oikawa buried the lower half of his face into his shoulder as he looked at Sugawara over it, trying to reign in the smile that threatened to split his face in half. Sugawara said goodbye one final time as he left the dorm room and shut the door behind him, allowing Oikawa the peace and quiet necessary for him to slide down far in his chair while pressing his hands tightly to his face, his skin heating up too quickly as he uttered curse after curse under his breath, trying to calm himself down without success.

After a moment, he heard the door open again, and jolted upright in his chair only to slump back into it when he saw it was Iwaizumi.

“Wow, don’t get up or anything.” Iwaizumi said as he moved to crawl back onto his own bed, sighing as he sank into the mattress. There was a moment of comfortable silence before Iwaizumi asked the question Oikawa knew was bound to come. “So…you wanna talk about, uh...you know?”

Oikawa knew what he meant. Biting down on his lower lip, Oikawa lifted his phone and stared at the screen. Sugawara and gone and saved his own contact information in Oikawa’s phone, and it looked as though he had sent himself a text message so that he could save Oikawa’s later on. The text Sugawara had sent read ‘ _let’s hang out again sometime!_ ’ It was obviously meant for him to read.

A foolish smile came across his face as Oikawa clicked the screen off and sighed, leaning forward to rest his head against the desk. Lightly, he gently touched his forehead, his fingers skimming across the place Sugawara had touched. His hand had been warm and soft.

“I’m done for Iwa-chan…” He mumbled, just barely loud enough for Iwaizumi to hear, and after a moment he heard Iwaizumi chuckle.

“I don’t think you ever stood a chance.” Iwaizumi replied, a surprising amount of warmth in his words as he continued to laugh softly.

Oikawa couldn’t help but smile a little. Iwaizumi was probably right.

He was a lost cause after all.


	4. Dinner For Two

Sugawara did his best to stifle a yawn as he left the lecture theatre, the last of his seminars over, which left the remainder of his afternoon free. He hummed a quiet tune as he headed towards one of the many exits of his university, taking his phone out of his pocket and smiling broadly when he noticed he a text he had received a message during his lecture. He did his best not to answer his phone during his classes, but at the same time he felt a little guilty for not replying sooner.

Especially when it had been Oikawa that had messaged him.

Over the last couple of weeks, Sugawara had been slowly closing the gap between them, at first through simple texting, but he had invited Oikawa out a couple of times to get something to eat after his evening shifts at the café. He mostly had Oikawa’s friends to thank for being able to see him more often, instead of the usual morning greeting. Oikawa had practically vanished for a week without him knowing a thing, and if he hadn’t encounter Hanamaki and Matsukawa on the street, he likely wouldn’t have known what was going on until Oikawa showed his face sooner or later. The thought of that worried him more than it should have, but he was relieved it hadn’t come to that. Since that time, Oikawa had resumed his usual morning work-out, and most days Sugawara had the pleasure of having a small chat with him as they watched the sun rise early in the morning from the top of the hill, though most of the time they just started to complain about how hot the days were getting before they went their separate ways.

Unable to keep the smile off his face, Sugawara opened the message and read it. It was a simple one, just a thank you for the book Sugawara had lent to him the last time they had met and that he had enjoyed reading it, followed by a brief question as to when to return it. Even though they were slowly becoming more familiar, Oikawa’s text messages always seemed so formal, so rigid. It didn’t seem like him at all, and Sugawara though it oddly endearing. Maybe it was just because they were still warming up to one another.

Not knowing whether or not he was in class, Sugawara sent him a brief reply that he was glad he enjoyed the book and that he was done for the week in terms of his classes, so Oikawa could return the book whenever he wanted. He had just made it off the campus grounds when his phone vibrated in his pocket, and he couldn’t help but smile again when he read the reply Oikawa had sent him.

‘ _I’m free right now, if that works for you. Mattsun and Makki-chan are being pests, so I could use an escape._ ’

With a grin, Sugawara uttered a silent thank you to Oikawa’s annoying friends. They were doing him more favours than they thought. Sugawara replied immediately, saying he would treat Oikawa to something nice to make him feel better, and they quickly arranged to meet outside the train station near both their universities to save on travel time. Sugawara made his way to the station with a skip in his step, unable to stop smiling as he went on his way.

The train station was busy, even though it was wasn’t quite near the evening rush hour. Sugawara sent Oikawa another message, telling him that he would be waiting directly across from the information centre outside the station. He didn’t receive a reply, but he got a notification that the message had been read, and after a few moments, he heard a smooth, velveteen voice calling out his name.

“Suga-chan!” The short nickname wasn’t unfamiliar too him, but the way Oikawa called it so enthusiastically was strangely nostalgic, as if they had known each other far longer than just a few weeks. He lifted his head to see Oikawa jogging towards him, wearing a thin tank top that clung to his chest and ripped jeans, and when Sugawara looked at his shoulders he could just barely see the faint tan-lines at the edge of the fabric.

“Hey there, you hungry?” Sugawara asked him when Oikawa reached his side, and Oikawa nodded a few times as he extended a hand towards Sugawara, having carried the book with him like that. One thing that Sugawara leaned about Oikawa was that he carried very little on him when he went out; so long as he had his phone, keys and wallet, Oikawa claimed he was set.

“I could seriously go for a bite to eat.” Oikawa admitted as Suga took the book from him and tucked it away in the tote bag slung under his arm.

“Let’s go then, it’s my treat today.” Sugawara hummed as he took a step backwards, grinning at Oikawa, who followed him happily through the crowd.

The awkwardness between them in their first few meetings had diminished drastically, to the point where they could say nothing at all as they walked and be comfortable with that silence. Sugawara snuck a glance at Oikawa as they headed towards an eatery they had visited the week before and had enjoyed. Oikawa was staring ahead, humming to himself as they walked, his dark brown eyes staring at nothing in particular. He seemed content to just walk around with Sugawara, a thought that made the silver-haired student happier than it should have.

Though, when they reached the restaurant, the smiles on their faces disappeared, as it looked like the place had closed down temporarily for repairs. Oikawa made a quiet whining noise, muttering that he had been looking forward to eating the okonomiyaki that the restaurant specialised in. They looked at one another, offering up other places they could go that were within their budget, although nothing was appealing to one another, and they stood pouting at each other, unable to decide.

After several moments of vain internet searches and childish back and forth arguments, a thought stuck in Sugawara’s mind and he uttered it before he could stop himself.

“Do you want to eat dinner at my place then?” He hadn’t fully realised what he had said until Oikawa looked at him with wide eyes, not having expected such a suggestion. Sugawara immediately regretted it. That was too straightforward, wasn’t it? Inviting a guy over for dinner like it was nothing, what was he thinking? That wasn’t something you said to a person you were still getting to know, right? Feeling a blush creeping over his face, Sugawara looked away from Oikawa, unable to stand the startled look directed at him and rubbed the back of his neck nervously. “I-I mean…we don’t have to, of course. I’m not even a good cook, to be honest.”

“I don’t mind,” Oikawa quickly replied when his senses came back to him, and he took a step closer without meaning to. “But, if that’s the case, then I can cook instead. I take care of the meals since Iwa-chan sucks at it, so I could cook us something.”

This guy was full of surprises.

“Let’s stop by the supermarket on our way back and pick up some things then.” Sugawara was quick to offer a smile that only grew when Oikawa grinned at him excitedly.

They retreated back down the street and passed the train station, heading to a local supermarket that was close to where Sugawara shared an apartment with two of his high school friends. Sugawara spoke about them a little as they walked, telling Oikawa that they often had night classes and would likely eat out afterwards. He wasn’t quite sure why he told him that. He was a little curious how Oikawa might react to knowing they could very well be alone together for the evening.

And seeing the slight flush at the tips of his ears, Sugawara had to look away quickly, or risk a legion of despicable thoughts flooding his mind in the moment.

They spent quite a while at the grocery store, debating about what to eat for dinner, and learning what one another preferred to eat and what they would rather set on fire if they ever saw it on their plate. Eventually they came to a compromise to make tonkatsu, greedily grabbing the ingredients from the shelves and teaming up to charm ladies in order get the last packets of pork slices, smirking at one another slyly as they went to the cashier and left the women giggling among themselves.

The trip to Sugawara’s apartment was a quick one, and they followed a path that Oikawa recognised from his morning runs. Sugawara lived down a side street that was just off the main road Oikawa ran down every morning after passing by him at the top of the hill, and Oikawa murmured under his breath that it made sense, since he was there early enough to see the sunrise every other day.

The apartment complex was a two story building with a parking lot out the front, and Sugawara pointed to the stairs as he ushered Oikawa to follow him up to the second floor. Oikawa did so obediently, shifting the grocery bags in his arms as Sugawara fished his keys out of his pocket and unlocked a door in the middle of the floor. Inside it was dark, and Sugawara fumbled for the light switch as he always did while toeing off his shoes while Oikawa nudged the door shut behind them.

“Alright, let’s get cooking!” Sugawara said as he stepped into the hallway and took one of the bags from Oikawa’s arm and cocked his head to the side, encouraging him to follow him into the kitchen.

“Let’s make it quickly, I’m starving now.” Oikawa whined as he and Sugawara set the bags down on the counter to take everything out. Sugawara left his side for a moment to grab all the utensils Oikawa would need. Noticing how warm the inside of the apartment had gotten, Sugawara left the kitchen quickly to open a few windows, telling Oikawa that he should open the one above the sink while he cooked.

When he returned to the kitchen, Oikawa had already started to oil and toast the panko crumbs that would cover the pork slices. Sugawara offered to help, though Oikawa admitted he was fine doing it himself since Sugawara had been the one to pay for the groceries. They shared a light conversation as Oikawa stood at the counters and cooked while Sugawara leaned against a bench behind him.

“Do you always have to cook in your dorm? I wouldn’t think university dorms would have kitchens.” Sugawara raised a brow as he crossed his arms over his chest in thought.

“They aren’t really kitchens, it’s more like a bench and a sink with a portable cooktop. Iwa-chan, Makki-chan, Mattsun and I saved up to get one, and we also got a microwave too. We had to sneak it in so that no one would know we have it.” Oikawa laughed a little as he told Sugawara how Hanamaki and Matsukawa had tried to act like spies as they snuck a packaged microwave into the dorm rooms after curfew.

“Don’t people hear you using it?” Sugawara asked with a smirk. The universal sound of a microwave beeping wasn’t something to be mistaken, especially among university students who particularly thrived on instant meals.

“Iwa-chan and I take turns making sure to stop it before the timer runs down.” Oikawa grinned as if it were the most ingenious plan on earth, and Sugawara couldn’t help but laugh. “What about you, you said you weren’t that good of a cook, so how do you manage meals here?”

“Ah, we rely mostly on Daichi since he’s the only one that can make anything, well, edible. Asahi almost set the kitchen on fire because he left the oil on the stove for too long, so he’s not allowed to cook anymore.” Sugawara explained as he looked towards the window in front of Oikawa, bare of curtains after the original ones had mostly gone up in flames. Asahi had panicked and accidentally thrown a cup of water on the flaming oil, which only made it worse.

It was a good thing he hadn’t been home alone or the place really would have burnt done. The three boys lived together to save on expenses, and with each of them working part time it made it easier on bills and rent, but the trouble with that was there were things they were still learning; like how to do a proper load of washing without mixing colours, or in one particular instance, how not to burn their kitchen down and be threatened with eviction.

“And you can’t cook either?” Oikawa asked with a quick glance over his shoulder as he breaded the pork slices.

“Daichi says my cooking tastes like paste.” Sugawara pouted a little, even more so when Oikawa hunched his shoulders, trying not to snigger at him.

Sugawara continued to pout at the back of Oikawa’s head as he finished up the preparations for the tonkatsu and moved on to make the rice and miso soup side dishes. Sugawara mumbled under his breath that Oikawa would made a wonderful wife for someone one day, and Oikawa pouted and whined as he explained Iwaizumi had told him something similar when they first started living together in the dorms. The open window allowed a light breeze to enter the kitchen, and Sugawara stared at the nape of Oikawa’s neck, dripping with sweat as his short hair moved with the soft wind. The thin silver chain of a necklace wrapped around his neck, drawing Sugawara’s gaze down his spine and muscled back under the thin tank top he wore.

His gaze would have wandered further down if he hadn’t heard the familiar sound of a door being unlocked, and jerked his head around to the hallway by the kitchen.

“You’re kidding me…” He mumbled to himself before he hastily told Oikawa to keep cooking and hurried into the hallway, an annoyed glare forming in his eyes once he was out of sight and standing in front of his roommates who gave him a confused look when they saw the way he stared at them.

“Hey, Koushi, we’re back. Our class was cancelled so we-” Daichi greeted him warmly at first, but gave him a curious look when he saw the way Sugawara was glaring at them. “Everything okay?”

“You two need to leave.” Sugawara whispered angrily as he continued to glare and pout at them. Asahi and Daichi looked at one another from the corner of their eyes before looking back at him.

“And why do we need to leave?” Asahi gave him the same confused but oddly curious look Daichi had given him, and the two of them looked over Sugawara’s head when they heard a noise from the kitchen.

“Hey, stop, leave already!” Sugawara hissed the words as the two of them shifted around either side of him, bending down to peer into the kitchen from the open archway leading in there. Both of them saw Oikawa standing at the stove, boiling rice as he kept a careful eye on a soup pot beside it.

“Oh, so this is the infamous Oikawa?”  Daichi smirked as he pulled away from the doorway to grin at Sugawara over his shoulder.

“Yes, he is, and he’s making _me_ dinner so _you two_ need to leave. Like, right now. Immediately.” Sugawara managed to keep himself from blushing as Daichi grinned at him more, and continued to insist that they leave.

“Hold on, we should at least introduce ourselves! We need to make sure he’s good for you, Koushi.” Daichi snickered as he took a step towards the door, patting Asahi on the back as he did so and encouraging him to walk into the kitchen with him.

“Don’t you dare!” Sugawara said the words louder than he wanted as he reached forward and grabbed the collar of Daichi’s shirt, yanking him back to roughly grind smack the edge of his hand against his side, making Daichi yell out as he struggled against Sugawara’s vice like grip. All the while, Asahi tried to break them apart as they fooled about in the hall, saying they would break something if they continued.

“Suga-chan, is everything…” Oikawa had left the stove when he heard the commotion, pausing in the kitchen doorway when he saw Sugawara holding one of his two roommates in a headlock, all three of them looking up at him with a surprised look on their faces. “…I’ll, um… I should check the soup.”

“Ah, wait a moment…!” Sugawara called out in vain, as Oikawa had quickly retreated back into the kitchen, clearly at a loss for what to do or say. Pouting, Sugawara squeezed his arm around Daichi’s neck once more time before letting him go and sighing in defeat, sluggishly making his way back to the kitchen to explain that Asahi and Daichi would be joining them with a forced smile.

“He’s going to kill us later…” Asahi whimpered the words as he shucked the backpack he wore.

“It’ll be worth it.” Daichi said with an amused smile as he entered the kitchen with Asahi at his heels, the two of them quickly introducing themselves to Oikawa, who gave them as warm a smile as he could after the scene he had just witnessed and explained what he was making. Whenever Oikawa turned his back, Sugawara would look at them with an unimpressed glare, as if they were being a pestilence in their own home.

Daichi and Asahi offered to set the table to get out of sight for a little while, the two of them vanishing into the adjacent living area. When they were out of earshot, Sugawara tried to think of some excuse for his behaviour a moment ago, eventually apologising and saying he had tried to strangle Daichi because he hadn’t paid the rent that month – even though it had already been paid. Oikawa simply laughed, believing his lie as he was preoccupied with plating up dishes for everyone. Sugawara pouted to himself a little whenever Oikawa turned his back, reminding himself to give his friends a good beating for interrupting his evening.

The four of them sat down for dinner in a matter of moments, with Daichi and Asahi asking a number of questions about Oikawa, and Oikawa in turn asking the same for them. Oikawa was also bold enough to ask a few things he had been wondering about Sugawara. Sugawara just nudged his knee under the table and flashed him a warm smile, saying that he didn’t have to ask other people things he wanted to know. He’d be more than happy to answer the questions himself.

They laughed and chatted about their days, and when Daichi asked how they had met – since Sugawara had refused to tell them how – he had been met with a fierce glare from Sugawara, while Oikawa coughed violently, almost having choked on his food at the sudden question.

Neither admitted that they had first met one another – properly, that is – by slamming one another into the sidewalk on accident. Sugawara bluffed, saying they had met at his workplace, and Oikawa quickly followed up on the ruse, but it was clear to Daichi that they were lying. The smiles on their faces weren’t genuine, not in the least.

When the last of the food had been devoured, they lounge around and talked aimlessly until Oikawa noticed the time and said it was time for him to leave, as the university dorms had a curfew and he had been forced to clean the foyer as punishment for being caught sneaking in. Sugawara escorted him outside, the two of them standing in the warm night air.

“Well, uh, thanks for dinner, I guess.” Oikawa said with a smile as he hooked his thumbs through the belt loops on his jeans, shifting nervously from foot to foot.

“I should be saying that, you’re the one who cooked after all.” Sugawara pointed out, and Oikawa seemed to relax as he stopped shifting about and returned his smile.

“Thanks for inviting me over, in that case. So, I’ll…see you next time, then?” Oikawa asked with a shrug of his shoulders. Sugawara nodded with the same smile.

“Yeah, let’s go out to eat again soon, but maybe with just us next time.” Sugawara chuckled quietly as he cast a glance back at the door behind him. When he looked back at Oikawa, he seemed taken aback by what he had said, but a smile soon returned to his face, along with the slight reddening of the tips of his ears.

“I’d…that sounds nice.” Oikawa stammered, trying to be careful of his words. Sugawara wondered if he had been about to say ‘ _I’d like that_ ’ and his smile grew wider.

“Send me a text when you get back to your dorm so I know you got home safe, okay? Even handsome guys like you can be prey for creeps this late.”

“Aha! Well, if you hear a girlish scream in the distance soon, make sure you come running to my rescue then, okay?”

“Anything for a pretty damsel.”

Oikawa left while blushing and laughing, a wide smile on his face as he waved at Sugawara while walking away from his apartment. Sugawara remained outside for a little while longer, watching as Oikawa walked across the parking lot in front of the apartment complex and down the street – but not before looking back and waving that him. Sugawara’s smile faded when Oikawa disappeared from his sight, and he sighed and slumped against the barrier outside his apartment, lingering there a little while longer before going inside.

Asahi was in the kitchen, taking care of the dishes, and Sugawara found Daichi reading something on his phone. With a heavy pout, Sugawara dropped himself down beside him, bouncing on the cushions as he crossed his arms tightly over his chest and sank into the couch.

“You ruined my night, Daichi. I was going to ask him if he wanted to stay over and pull the old ‘ _I forgot to air out the futon, want to share the bed?_ ’ card.” Sugawara whined and nudged his knee against Daichi’s roughly, though Daichi pushed his back with just as much force as he continued to stare at his phone.

“That sounds so romantic.” Daichi laughed and smirked to himself, scrolling through some social media site on his phone.

“Daichi, I’m serious.” Sugawara moaned and grabbed Daichi’s arms, prying his phone away and he flopped down to rest his head in his friend’s lap.

“If you’re serious, then why haven’t you asked him out on a proper date?” Daichi sighed and smiled down at him, leaning back as he shifted his leg to allow Sugawara to lay down comfortably.

“It’s not that easy…” Sugawara whined and raised an arm to cover his eyes.

“Love isn’t easy, idiot.” Daichi replied as he returned his gaze to his phone.

Sugawara merely lay there, his head resting against Daichi’s lap and his legs dangling off the armrest, and stared at the ceiling, mulling over his words. He really should stop beating around the bush. He’d been working really hard to get a little closer to Oikawa, learning new things about him day by day, trying to get the handsome fellow to be comfortable around him. But there were still a lot of things that were unknown to him. The most important of them at the moment was if he was comfortable with dating men and such things. If he could figure that out…

Pursing his lips, Sugawara threw his arms over his head once more, blocking his view of the world as he let out a distinct groaning noise that Daichi laughed at.

Daichi was right.

It wasn’t easy.


	5. Jealously and Cowardice

Sugawara leaned against the countertop in the café, staring at the customers happily devouring the sweets and coffees and teas the store had to offer. Today there seemed to be couples out in full force, and Sugawara couldn’t help but frown at those who sat across from one another, holding hands and rubbing their legs together under the tables, staring at each other as if nothing else in the world existed.

And there he was, single and trying to pursue a guy he texted more than he actually spoke with, though that had been slowly changing. He had meet with Oikawa several time inviting him over for dinner. They hung out, watched movies, the last time they just wandered around a shopping mall for a few hours without any purpose. But Sugawara hadn’t invited him on the premise of it being a _date_. He hadn’t worked up the courage for that. Daichi kept telling him to stop procrastinating and go for it before someone else made a move, especially since a guy as handsome as Oikawa wasn’t bound to stay single for long.

Sugawara knew he should. His nights were restless, his dreams invaded by a smooth voice and inviting eyes. His waking hours were no different, but he liked to think he had a better clasp of his emotions when he was awake. At least then he could keep it under wraps.

“Stop glaring at the customers.” Daichi scolded him as he finished taking someone’s order and kicked the back of his shin gently. “If you’re just going to scowl at everyone, go home early.”

“I’m fine.” Sugawara murmured as he pushed away from the counter to go head out onto the floor and clean up the empty tables. As he lifted the benchtop to pass, Daichi laid a hand on his shoulder, pulling him back.

“Go. Home.” Daichi stressed the words, a stern look in his eyes that wasn’t cold, rather concerned. Sugawara sighed heavily as he nodded, thanking Daichi as he patted his shoulder a few times before walking passed him to go to the employee area behind the kitchen.

Sugawara stripped himself of his uniform to change, making sure to put it in a plastic bag before stuffing it into the tote bag he carried with him. The last thing he wanted was to clean out flour from his belongings again. He thanked Daichi again as he left, receiving a kind smile just as he walked out the door, and Sugawara stood on the street for a moment, allowing the warm summer sunlight to soak into his skin before he began walking home.

Like a true child of the modern era, he pulled his phone from his pocket, checking the messages he had received while he had been at work. Asahi had texted to say he’d be home late, there were a few odd messages from classmates asking about tomorrow’s classes, and…

A message from Oikawa, asking if he wanted to hang out at the dorm that afternoon. Sugawara froze on the sidewalk, rereading the message a few times. Oikawa claimed that his classes had been cancelled that day due to his lecturer being ill, and with no replacement, he had little else to do. Biting down on his lip, Sugawara swiped through the icons on his phone that would allow him to dial Oikawa’s number, holding the phone to his ear as he stepped close to the walls of stores to keep out of the way of bystanders. The dial tone rang in his ear; once, twice, a third time, and then Sugawara heard his voice.

“ _Hey, Suga-chan, what’s up?_ ” It was the first time he’d heard his voice so close by his ear, though he knew it was nothing to be excited about. It was just a phone call. Just a phone call…

“I got your text.” Sugawara said quickly as he swallowed the lump in his throat. Why now, of all times, was he getting nervous? Why all of a sudden? He cursed himself for it. He probably should go home, but he wanted to see him, even if only for a little bit. “I got sent home from work, so I’m free right now. Can I come over, or…?”

“ _Yeah, of course, but is everything okay? Are you sick?_ ” Oikawa’s voice was riddled with concern, and it made Sugawara smile to know he was being worried over. He was half-tempted to feign illness to see if Oikawa might pamper him. Maybe it was selfish of him to think like that.

“No, I’m fine, just a little out of it I guess.” Sugawara explained and breathed out swiftly, standing up straighter as he smiled, his mood already lifting. “I’ll head over now; do you want me to pick up anything on my way?”

“ _Ah, I have snacks and stuff here, but you can pick up something if you want. I’ll meet you at the gates?_ ” Oikawa offered and Sugawara nodded a little, even though he wouldn’t see it, and pushed away from the wall to start walking in the direction of his university.

“Sure, see you in a bit.” Sugawara breathed out with a soft laugh.

“ _Don’t keep me waiting!_ ” Oikawa’s voice chimed, and Sugawara laughed again as he promised he wouldn’t, and the call ended after those few simple words.

Sugawara picked up his pace a little, a fast walk turning into a light job into an excited run. He was eager to see him. Seeing all those lovey-dovey couples in the café made him…it made him want to see him, be near him, listen to his voice, all those little things that made his heart skip a beat whenever he was nearby.

He didn’t bother stopping to get something on his way. He wanted to spend as much time as he could with Oikawa, especially when he had been invited to. That was progress in and of itself, Oikawa inviting him out for a chance. Usually it was Sugawara who insisted that they hang out, though Oikawa always seemed eager to accept and come along. It didn’t take him very long to get to the university, and as Oikawa had said, he was waiting out the front for him, using the shade of an overarching tree to hide from the terrible heat.

There was only one problem.

He wasn’t alone.

While Oikawa was stood leaning against the tree, a pleasant but a little too forced smile on his face, there were a small group of girls standing around him, happily talking to him about something Sugawara couldn’t hear as he stood quite some distance away. He slowed his pace, approaching quietly, and the closer he got the more he heard of the conversation. The girls were trying to invite him out for drinks, and also encouraging him to bring along Iwaizumi and his other friends, since it was always nice to have them out drinking. It made Sugawara wonder just how often he went out on group dates like that. He didn’t want to think about it, though. He knew it would only sour his mood if he did, though the way the girls were leaning closer to him didn’t help either.

“Oikawa!” With a strained smile, Sugawara loudly called out to Oikawa as he got closer to the gates, and Oikawa’s head jerked up immediately at the sound of his voice, the tight smile becoming more genuine as he saw him. That made Sugawara feel a little better, though not by much, not when one of the girls wrapped an arm around his and tried to keep him still when he tried to move around the girls to approach him.

“Tooru, you said you had the afternoon off…” One of the girl whined childishly, batting her lashes up at him as he leaned against him heavily, and Oikawa’s gaze was drawn away from Sugawara’s. His mood had really just gone down the drain with the way she called out his name like that. Oikawa seemed to be halfway through apologising to her, saying he had already made plans, but when Sugawara had finally closed the gap between them, he quickly took hold of Oikawa’s other arm, grinning at the girl in rather unpleasant way as he tugged Oikawa out of her grasp.

“Sorry, he’s mine today.” Sugawara’s words were a little more forceful than he intended, and he began to walk into the university grounds, dragging a flustered Oikawa with him as the girls were left stunned at the entrance, unsure of what to say.

Oikawa called his name several times as Sugawara dragged him through his own campus, people stopping and staring at them as Oikawa tried to get his attention, to no avail. Sugawara was frowning and glaring ahead of them, trying to remember his way back to the dorms so he didn’t have to worry about anything else. He was mad. Childishly so, even. He didn’t have any right to be jealous. No right at all. It wasn’t like they were dating. They’d known each other for a little under a month, they had just started to act like real friends.

They were friends…but that was it.

That was the be-all and end-all of it.

He didn’t want that.

The thought of being just a friend made his stomach churn, even though he didn’t feel unwell.

“-a! Suga!” The sound of Oikawa shouting his name eventually reached his ears and Oikawa yanked back on his own wrist until it slid free from Sugawara’s grip. Sugawara stopped and turned around to face him. He was panting softly from having called out his name multiple times, a frustrated and confused look on his face. “What the hell? What’s wrong?”

Sugawara’s expression shifted, the glare being turned on Oikawa as he chewed on his bottom lip. Did he not get it? At all? Or was he just ignoring it? Playing dumb? Was he entertaining him, was that it? Sugawara knew he hadn’t exactly been forthright but really…he couldn’t be that dense, right?

Sugawara opened his mouth, about to say words he wouldn’t be able to shake off or ignore. But one more look at Oikawa’s face, one last lingering glimpse at the confusion and concern in those dark eyes and…

The words died in his throat and he looked away, knowing that his face had turned red.

He was the idiot in that moment.

“I’m going home. I don’t feel well after all.” The words were cold and Sugawara quickly moved around Oikawa, who stood stuck in place, unable to understand what had just happened.

“Hey- wait a moment, Suga! Sugawara!” Oikawa called out his name a few times, and Sugawara bolted into a run, quickly escaping the university and disappearing down the street. He was an idiot. Surely, he had to be. He had to be an idiot.

And a coward.

A foolish, hopelessly in love coward.


	6. The Last Dawn

Oikawa couldn’t get it out of his mind. It had been a few days since Sugawara’s outburst on the campus grounds, and since then, he hadn’t heard a peep from him. Sugawara didn’t reply to his texts, and Hanamaki told him he hadn’t seen him at the café when he went to pick up a box of creampuffs the other day.

It was early in the morning, and Oikawa still hadn’t fallen asleep. He had fallen into bed late that night, tired and restless, and unable to sleep no matter how hard he tried. He even tried counting sheep. The only sounds in the dorm room were that of Iwaizumi’s quiet snoring, and the continuous whirring of the fan that rotated back and forth on the desk under the window.

Becoming annoyed by the lack of sleep, Oikawa sat up on his bed and reached into the dark for his phone, yanking it from the charger and blinking at the screen with blurry eyes. It was almost half past five in the morning. With a deep frown, he unlocked the phone and opened up the messaging app, tapping Sugawara’s name and staring at the last few messages he had sent, all of which hadn’t received a reply.

Sugawara was really ignoring him.

Oikawa wondered if Sugawara might have felt this way when it had been the other way around. Although, that time, they hadn’t been as close as they had become. There was still that distance between them, and Oikawa knew that it would start to grow if this went on any longer. Oikawa thought they were getting closer; he’d been sure of it up until a few days ago. He thought he might even have a chance, if he could muster the courage to say the words, at least. He doubted he would have that chance now. Not while he was being avoided.

Without really meaning to, he began to type out a message. One more. He might reply to it. If he even opened it, that was. He stared at it for several long moments after, each word repeating itself in his mind like a broken record. Five simple words, but they didn’t carry the weight of his emotions. They didn’t carry the worry, the frustration, the longing or the desire.

 _‘I want to see you_.’

Oikawa clicked his tongue and tossed his phone to the end of his bed, the screen lighting up the dark room as he buried his head in his knees. He must have said something. Or done something. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t think of a reason for Sugawara to be avoiding him. At least not one that made sense.

Unable to remain in his bed, staring at the ceiling in the dark and feeling crushed by the weight of uncertainty, Oikawa crawled out of bed and quietly fumbled in the dark for something to wear, eventually pulling on a simple graphic tee-shirt and jeans. He grabbed his phone and his keys, stuffing them into his pockets as he quietly crept towards the door, freezing when Iwaizumi’s voice called out to him in the dark.

“Where are you off to at this hour?” Iwaizumi’s voice was sluggish. Oikawa must have woken him up when he was getting dressed.

“I’m…I’m just going for a walk.” Oikawa replied quietly. He couldn’t think of anything else to say. Iwaizumi twisted in bed, lifting his head to look up at him, though they couldn’t really see each other well in the dark. After a moment, Iwaizumi huffed and laid back down.

“Good luck, lover-boy.” Was all he said as he tugged the sheets close to his chin, and Oikawa smiled weakly.

“Thanks, Iwa-chan.” He mumbled and opened the door to leave the dorm, walking as quietly as he could down the hallway and stairs to exit the building.

It was still warm outside, the temperature barely having dropped overnight. The campus grounds were lit with a few stray lamplights, and Oikawa followed them until he passed through the university gates, his feet aimlessly taking him down the street and along a familiar path before he realised it. It didn’t take him long to get to the top of the hill he had so often run by. He had come by here every day that week, but he hadn’t yet seen Sugawara there, leaning against the rails with a welcoming smile on his face, ready to talk about whatever meaningless thing came to mind.

Oikawa missed that. He missed seeing him standing there, waiting for him as much as he was waiting for the sunrise. He missed that kind and warm smile that was almost always on Sugawara’s face, the kind that made his eyes shine like nothing he’d ever seen before.

He missed him.

He missed Sugawara.

Oikawa heaved a heavy sigh as he leaned against the guard rails, his gaze wandering out towards the cityscape that Sugawara was drawn to. Even though they had sat here together a few times now, Oikawa had never truly looked at the scenery. His gaze had always drifted elsewhere. Now, he wanted to know what Sugawara found so enticing about this spot. The view must truly be good for him to wake up so early every other day just to see it.

He wasn’t sure how long he stood there for, his hands tightly wrapped around the guardrail, teeth grazing his bottom lip, eyes blinking at the horizon as the sky slowly turned a light blue the closer the sun got to the edge of the earth, the world far off in the distance glowing faintly as the sunlight drew near.

Oikawa couldn’t help but notice how quiet it was. He wondered if Sugawara had heard him coming all those times he had run by. He thought it might be the case. When he closed his eyes, he could hear the soft sounds of shoes squeaking against the cement sidewalk, drawing closer. He dropped his head, laughing at himself. To want such a thing, that was certainly conceited of him, wasn’t it? He sniffed a little, releasing another breath, each one becoming shakier than the last as he shifted back and forth against the rails anxiously.

What did he do wrong?

“I want to see him…” Oikawa mumbled to himself as he rested his elbows against the rails, hunching over to hold his face in his hands. His eyes were sore from a lack of sleep, and now they stung as they started to water. He must look like an idiot, standing there, muttering to himself. He must have uttered the words half a dozen times, over and over until they became lodged in his throat.

“Try again.” The voice startled him. He recognised it immediately, and Oikawa jerked his head up so quickly it almost made his head spin.

Sugawara stood there, his reddening face illuminated by a street lamp nearby, with his shoulders hunched and his hands stuffed into his pockets. Though his words were directed at him, Sugawara was looking elsewhere, his gaze fixated on the distant horizon. Oikawa was silent for a while, not knowing what he meant and how to reply. Full of uncertainty, Oikawa pushed away from the guardrail and closed the short distance between them, standing mere inches away from him, his head tilted down to look at him. Sugawara still stared off at the cityscape, though his shoulders became tense when Oikawa got closer to him.

“I want to see you.” Oikawa said the words firmly. They were the only ones that came to mind. When Sugawara looked at him, he felt his breath hitch in his throat, like the first time he had laid eyes on him, but in a much different way. There was a strange look in his eyes, not one of curiosity, not exactly. It was anxious, full of nervous expectation and something…something more.

“What else?” Sugawara posed the question to him. He needed an answer to that, right then, right there. Oikawa’s head was a mess, any proper thoughts he had were tangling together and becoming jumbled. He couldn’t think straight.

“I want to know more about you. I want to hang out, but not as friends.” The words fell from Oikawa’s mouth, quickly and honestly, a flood of thoughts that couldn’t be stopped in the moment. “I want to go on dates and hold your hand and…”

“And?” Sugawara prompted him quickly, wanting to know what came next. A hand reached out, grabbing the front of Oikawa’s shirt, fingers twisting in the fabric as the small space between became smaller with each word Oikawa said. Oikawa stared down at him, the two of them looking at one another intently. Sugawara was hanging onto every word he said, and Oikawa finally realised what that strange look in his eyes was. It made him feel foolish, only seeing it know.

“And I want to tell you I love you.” Oikawa said the words softly, almost breathlessly, as a stupid smile came across his face. Oikawa could feel Sugawara’s breath against his face, and the hand that was pulling on his shirt was joined by another, that one moving up to touch the nape of his neck, bringing their faces closer together.

“Say it then.” Sugawara demanded, and Oikawa shuddered at the feeling of their lips ghosting together, just barely touching as they spoke.

“I love you. I love you, Suga-chan.” Oikawa repeated the words, perhaps a few times, perhaps a hundred times, his lips shaking as he smiled more when he murmured the simple nickname. The hand that snaked around his neck drew him closer, whatever space between them disappearing as the sunlight beamed over the horizon, engulfing them in a fiery warmth as they kissed.

“I love you too…love you…” Sugawara mumbled the words against his lips, one long, passionate kiss turning into a second and then a third, each becoming shorter than the previous one as they quickly became breathless, continuing to mutter a few simple but powerful words as they embraced in the morning light.

They parted eventually, millimetres separating their lips as they breathed out hurriedly, staring at one another through half lidded eyes. How long had they been holding onto those words? It didn’t really matter in the moment, they thought. The words had been said, a declaration that couldn’t be denied now.

Oikawa leaned his forehead against Sugawara’s, breathless and exhausted, but happy, more so than ever when he felt Sugawara’s hands wrap around his waist, pulling him just a little closer, and he returned the gesture when he felt Sugawara tilt his head once more, leaning into another slow kiss.

What hopeless fools they were.


End file.
